With the beginning of the NHL season looming, oddsmakers are starting to come up with their takes on how the campaign will play out.
Obviously, the Chicago Blackhawks are considered either the favorites, or close to it (depending on which sportsbook you are looking at), but how do their players fare in the odds for the NHL's various individual awards?
Here is a breakdown:
Hart Trophy (Given to league's MVP)
Sidney Crosby: 3/1
Alex Ovechkin: 6/1
Patrick Kane: 25/1
Jonathan Toews: 25/1
Norris Trophy (League's best defenseman)
Erik Karlsson: 4/1
PK Subban: 9/2
Duncan Keith: 12/1
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Vezina Trophy (League's best goaltender)
Henrik Lundqvist: 4/1
Jonathan Quick: 5/1
Corey Crawford: 15/1
Art Ross (League's leading scorer)
Sidney Crosby: 9/4
Steven Stamkos: 11/2
Patrick Kane: 30/1
Jonathan Toews: 35/1
Rocket Richard (League's leading goal scorer)
Steven Stamkos: 5/2
Alex Ovechkin: 7/2
Jonathan Toews: 20/1
For a full list of all of the top players, you can visit Greg Wyshynski's piece at Yahoo, but as for the Hawks' representation, it seems as though they are in the right place. Yes, Kane was in the top five in the league in points last season, but over the course of a full campaign, guys like Crosby (when healthy) are going to get more points than he will.
As for Toews, it's interesting to see him so high on the Richard list, with Kane nowhere in sight in terms of odds. It's also a bit surprising that he and Kane are sporting equal odds of being named
league MVP, considering the high esteem in which everyone in the league holds the Hawks' captain.
As for Keith and Crawford, they are about where they should be in their respective rankings, with Crawford perhaps just a touch too low in the goaltending category. Roberto Luongo is just above him at 12/1 odds, as is Montreal's Carey Price, and it could be argued that Crawford plays in better defensive systems than either of those guys, so he might get more Vezina love as a result.
What do you think of the betting odds, Hawks fans? Did they show guys like Kane and Toews enough respect, or should they be higher on the list?
